Summer is in full swing and so is the heat! With the extra heat and possibly less rain (like my area right now) our plants might be struggling a bit. For us, cooling off is easy–thank you Lord for pool days! But your plants unfortunately need a bit more attention. So lets talk about how to help them beat the heat.
Check your varieties
The first thing you can do very early in the planting season that will pay off later is trying to pick plants and varieties that handle heat better. This is especially important if you live in growing zones that have a consistently higher heat average, such as zones 8, 9, and 10. There are specific plant families that handle high heat better than others, but there are also specific varieties of cooler weather plants that handle heat better. For example, cilantro is typically a cooler weather plant that struggles in heat waves, but there are varieties that do better in heat waves, such as Leisure Cilantro. Double checking the heat (and drought) tolerance before you buy can make a huge difference in your garden’s success with such little extra time and effort!
deep mulching
Secondly, I recommend deep mulching around your plants, especially the ones that are placed in full sun exposure. Deep mulching is really just adding an extra layer of mulch to your existing mulch or spreading an extra thick layer on top of your soil if you decide to mulch in the future. The extra deep layer helps to retain water in and around the soil longer, allowing your plants access to water for a longer amount of time. The layer not only holds extra water itself, but also keeps the sun from drying out the soil so quickly. This is great option to have in the back of your pocket since mulch is fairly accessible at any time during the growing season.
water, water, water!
Last, but certainly not least, WATER! A lot. Automatic watering systems, drip tape, etc. are wonderful ways to make sure your garden gets well watered. But if you’re like me and don’t really want to spend the money on it–at least, not yet–here’s the tried and true staples of watering in heat waves: Keep a consistent watering schedule. Try to water about the same time each day and for the same amount of time each time you water your garden. I like to water each of my raised raised beds (12 foot beds) for about 5 minuets each. You should also consider the time of day you water your garden. The best time of day to water is early in the morning. This is before the sun gets too hot to water. If the leaves and fruit of your plants get wet from watering mid day, it will burn and damage them. If you need to water additionally in the same day or just can’t water in the morning, watering in the evening will also work. Watering in the evening does open up your garden for possible disease spread, but it is the better option between that and mid day watering. The most important thing to remember is to stay consistent with your watering schedule!
I know being a beginner gardener can be stressful and sun does have the potential to hurt your gardens in the full swing of summer, but with these three pointers your garden should make it through just fine! I believe in you, friend! You got this. And when you feel like you don’t, please reach out through email!!
Cheers, until next time,
Erin
The Simple Pursuit Mama 
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